(a) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Flat panel display devices, such as liquid crystal display (“LCD”) devices, plasma display panels (“PDPs”), and organic light emitting diodes (“OLEDs”), have become widely used in place of cathode ray tubes (“CRTs”).
An LCD device includes an LCD panel. The LCD panel includes a first substrate where thin film transistors (“TFTs”) are formed, a second substrate which faces the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates. The LCD panel does not emit light by itself, and thus a backlight unit is provided behind the first substrate to provide light. Transmittance of the light irradiated from the backlight unit is adjusted according to the alignment of liquid crystals.
The backlight unit may be either an edge type or a direct type based upon a position of a light source with respect to the backlight unit.
In the direct type backlight unit, a plurality of light sources is disposed behind the LCD panel to cover the entire area of the LCD panel, and an optical plate is disposed between the light sources and the LCD panel. The direct type backlight unit provides higher brightness, and thus it is used for large-screen LCD devices.
The direct type backlight unit typically uses a lamp as its light source. The direct type backlight unit includes a side mold to accommodate an end portion of the lamp and to support the optical plate. However, conventional side molds require somewhat complex configuration in order to support elements of the backlight unit. In addition, these side molds prevent efficient radiation of heat generated from the lamp.